Busy, busy week...wowza. Summer is a-winding down, and even though my schedule won't change much when the school year starts, I feel like I need to squeeze as much in my free time as possible. Friday Five for the week...
1. Last weekend was a Zac Efron weekend. Don't be jealous...feel free to have one of your own. It wasn't intentional, but it wasn't a bad thing. I kidsat my cousins from Friday to Saturday and they rented 17 Again for us to watch. Zac acting as Matthew Perry. Cute movie...I liked it- though the DVD cut out on us at the end and we didn't get to finish the movie...pretty sure I can guess how it ends. THEN, on Saturday night, I had a really crazy evening. Stayed in with the dog I am housesitting for, and we watched High School Musical 1 AND 2. I actually hadn't seen any of the HSM movies before (even with all my babysitting...I have seen my share of Jonas Brothers concerts in 3-D though), and I thought they were great! I mean, corny lines and such, but so well done. And I was never a Zac Efron fan..he has always seemed a little too cool for school, but he is a pretty decent actor (he does Matthew Perry amazing...mannerisms and everything), and the notes they gave during HSM about the cast working together and rehearsing...he seems like a fun guy. Won me over. Not in a actor boyfriend kind of way...but I like him.
2. Had book club on Monday- and we actually talked about the book a little bit. We read Molokai'i- which I talked about in one of my past blogs. It really is a great book club book- so many different topics to discuss...religion, family, coming of age, history, the leprosy disease itself...so much. I have started reading Julie and Julia...hoping to finish it soon so I can watch it in the theater. I'm not SUPER into the book...but I do like to cook, and I did love the French food, so it is fun to read all the crazy stuff Julie goes through to make all of Julia Child's recipes.
3. I mentioned earlier that I am housesitting. Well, earlier this week, I was washing some potatoes (I was doing my own cooking experiment...with Rachael Ray 30 minute meals...much easier than Julia Child!) and all of a sudden the sink spout just, EXPLODED. Yeah. The water stopped coming out of the spout and was spraying through the tube. I checked it out, the rubber hose inside the metal hose got a tear. Ian came over and took a look, took it apart, we made a trip to Home Depot, bought a new hose, started putting it back together and then realized it wasn't the right hose because the spout is an older version...blah, blah, blah...long story short, I am still rinsing dishes in the bathroom sink. Might not be invited back to housesit here again.
4. My mom is going back to the classroom this year, after several years as the President of her Association. She just got a new classroom, so we went to the school and began cleaning and decorating. She is teaching English and is doing an Imagineering theme...which is going to be really fun and creative...I spent about two hours cutting out different size black circles to staple on the wall in Mickey shapes where she will put up quotes and questions to get the kids thinking. I'm excited for her.
5. Today I saw the Avett Brothers play a short set for KMTT at the Starbucks headquarters. I have heard a little bit of them, and have heard great things from other people,l but hadn't seen them before. They were so much fun! Lots of energy. One of those bands that you don't have to know the songs to enjoy them. Check em out...I am going to keep my eye out for them some more.
One more week of summer (basically...next weekend is Labor Day!) which means Bumbershoot next weekend...exciting! Have a great week.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Friday Five 8/21
Yet again, Friday has arrived. Hope your week flew by as mine did...because it was full of fun and excitement. Was it? Well let me tell you about my week, in five short points.
1. Last weekend was Mountain Music Fest. Great lineup this year. I was spending the whole weekend with my mom, so she came along with me. We first stopped at the Marty Riemer Slumber Party...where they were broadcasting live, and had a few remote music lounge performances. We were just planning on stopping in to pick up out tickets for the show, before heading to a coffee shop to do some business brainstorming. And that's when he walked by...Mr. Howie Day. That's right folks...my original musician boyfriend. I haven't seen him play in a few years, and I was PUMPED. We hung out at the party to see his performance, and then watch as he and Ingrid Michaelson played Rock Band together...amusing.
2. Mountain Music Fest had a giant lineup this year, but we only made it for the second half of the show (we are busy ladies...places to be, people to see). We got there just a bit before Howie took the stage. I got some tickets from the radio station, and just expected them to be general admission tickets...oh no, we found ourselves seated in the third row. So good. Howie played solo...which I really haven't seen in a long time. He only played a couple new songs (not sure how I feel about them...I'm going to let myself listen to the new album all the way through a few times before I decide, once it comes out)...he did his looping stuff, and bird tweeting, and random conversation...it was a fantastic performance. All I was hoping for. Then I got up to the bathroom after his set...and heard some girl behind me say she was disappointed in Howie Day...so my ears perked up "really...I thought he was great, how was she possibly disappointed?"...her next line was, "he wasn't even playing live...it was a recording. I mean, when he was done, he just walked off the stage while it was still playing, he didn't even try to pretend it was live"...to which I felt the need to explain to this girl about his looping. How he recordds different sounds right there on the stage, and then layers himself. She apparently didn't get it, and told me "whatever, I'm a fan of LIVE music"...I had to turn around or I would have thrown my flip flop at her. Dumb girl. Ingrid Michaelson was alright...she is pretty funny- I think maybe she should be a comedian, rather than musician. And David Gray was amazing...of course. Is he ever not?
3. Later in the weekend, mom and I went to a movie. I don't go to movies very often...they are really flipping expensive, so I try to make it to a matinee every so often, but it has to be a movie I've really been wanting to see (you know, like Twilight)...but there wasn't anything especially exciting at the theater near the house, so we decided to go see the Ugly Truth. Oh man. Not good. Not good at all. Mom and I started counting our eyeball rolling. We did, however, stop at Cold Stone before hand and snuck some ice cream into the movie (in mom's movie bag, complete with tupperware to hold the ice cream...she is serious)...I was voting for a girl scout cookie blizzard from Dairy Queen...but Cold Stone it was. Don't go see the movie...there are plenty of others out right now.
4. On Wednesday I had the opportunity to stop in KMTT for a Mountain Music Lounge (I know, it was quite a rock star week) with Pete Yorn. I have a couple Pete Yorn albums, but have never really listened to them. I feel like I know his music, but I don't actually know anything other than his radio songs. So I decided I needed to go check this fellow out. And I have to say, I was impressed. He was great...and friendly in the interview. And then stayed and signed posters and took pictures and such after. He won me over when he signed my poster, asked my name, made sure to spell it right....then fifteen minutes later, after I left the area to go say hello to my roomie and print some stuff out, I returned...and he said goodbye to me...with my name. I'm always impressed when musicians remember names...they are meeting and seeing so many new people every single day, I feel like faces would just begin to blur. But he remembered my name. So, I'm a fan. Good work Pete. Now I need to go listen to his albums on my ipod. Ohhh, and he has a new album coming out next month, of duets...with Scarlett Johansen...how random is that?!
5. I started watching a new show this week On Demand...after I finished watching all the Mad Men episodes, I found a new series. Royal Pains. It has the kid that was Joey's nephew, on the Friends spinoff, Joey. I liked him on that show...he is dorky cute, and funny. And he is the same way in this show. I don't necessarily like the rest of the side characters...but the main guy (I can't think of what else he was in...though he has been in a few different shows) and the Joey kid are great...they have some pretty funny lines.
That's all for this week...next week is looking pretty busy, so i'm guessing I'll blink and will be writing up another Friday Five. Later skater....E
1. Last weekend was Mountain Music Fest. Great lineup this year. I was spending the whole weekend with my mom, so she came along with me. We first stopped at the Marty Riemer Slumber Party...where they were broadcasting live, and had a few remote music lounge performances. We were just planning on stopping in to pick up out tickets for the show, before heading to a coffee shop to do some business brainstorming. And that's when he walked by...Mr. Howie Day. That's right folks...my original musician boyfriend. I haven't seen him play in a few years, and I was PUMPED. We hung out at the party to see his performance, and then watch as he and Ingrid Michaelson played Rock Band together...amusing.
2. Mountain Music Fest had a giant lineup this year, but we only made it for the second half of the show (we are busy ladies...places to be, people to see). We got there just a bit before Howie took the stage. I got some tickets from the radio station, and just expected them to be general admission tickets...oh no, we found ourselves seated in the third row. So good. Howie played solo...which I really haven't seen in a long time. He only played a couple new songs (not sure how I feel about them...I'm going to let myself listen to the new album all the way through a few times before I decide, once it comes out)...he did his looping stuff, and bird tweeting, and random conversation...it was a fantastic performance. All I was hoping for. Then I got up to the bathroom after his set...and heard some girl behind me say she was disappointed in Howie Day...so my ears perked up "really...I thought he was great, how was she possibly disappointed?"...her next line was, "he wasn't even playing live...it was a recording. I mean, when he was done, he just walked off the stage while it was still playing, he didn't even try to pretend it was live"...to which I felt the need to explain to this girl about his looping. How he recordds different sounds right there on the stage, and then layers himself. She apparently didn't get it, and told me "whatever, I'm a fan of LIVE music"...I had to turn around or I would have thrown my flip flop at her. Dumb girl. Ingrid Michaelson was alright...she is pretty funny- I think maybe she should be a comedian, rather than musician. And David Gray was amazing...of course. Is he ever not?
3. Later in the weekend, mom and I went to a movie. I don't go to movies very often...they are really flipping expensive, so I try to make it to a matinee every so often, but it has to be a movie I've really been wanting to see (you know, like Twilight)...but there wasn't anything especially exciting at the theater near the house, so we decided to go see the Ugly Truth. Oh man. Not good. Not good at all. Mom and I started counting our eyeball rolling. We did, however, stop at Cold Stone before hand and snuck some ice cream into the movie (in mom's movie bag, complete with tupperware to hold the ice cream...she is serious)...I was voting for a girl scout cookie blizzard from Dairy Queen...but Cold Stone it was. Don't go see the movie...there are plenty of others out right now.
4. On Wednesday I had the opportunity to stop in KMTT for a Mountain Music Lounge (I know, it was quite a rock star week) with Pete Yorn. I have a couple Pete Yorn albums, but have never really listened to them. I feel like I know his music, but I don't actually know anything other than his radio songs. So I decided I needed to go check this fellow out. And I have to say, I was impressed. He was great...and friendly in the interview. And then stayed and signed posters and took pictures and such after. He won me over when he signed my poster, asked my name, made sure to spell it right....then fifteen minutes later, after I left the area to go say hello to my roomie and print some stuff out, I returned...and he said goodbye to me...with my name. I'm always impressed when musicians remember names...they are meeting and seeing so many new people every single day, I feel like faces would just begin to blur. But he remembered my name. So, I'm a fan. Good work Pete. Now I need to go listen to his albums on my ipod. Ohhh, and he has a new album coming out next month, of duets...with Scarlett Johansen...how random is that?!
5. I started watching a new show this week On Demand...after I finished watching all the Mad Men episodes, I found a new series. Royal Pains. It has the kid that was Joey's nephew, on the Friends spinoff, Joey. I liked him on that show...he is dorky cute, and funny. And he is the same way in this show. I don't necessarily like the rest of the side characters...but the main guy (I can't think of what else he was in...though he has been in a few different shows) and the Joey kid are great...they have some pretty funny lines.
That's all for this week...next week is looking pretty busy, so i'm guessing I'll blink and will be writing up another Friday Five. Later skater....E
Friday, August 14, 2009
Back to the Friday Five
Alright, I'm back with an actual Friday Five, on Friday. You've missed it, I know...your work week just doesn't have the closure you like it to have. You can breathe a sigh of relief.
1. On Fridays, at Starbucks, I go in an hour earlier than my normal shift and put away our weekly order...all the coffee that comes in, syrups, lemonade, juices, etc. It isn't my favorite way to spend an hour...I bump into things, the cardboard gives my arms rashes...but whatever, someone has to do it. Today...Pumpkin Spice arrived. We aren't serving it yet...it'll be holding it's place on the shelf in the back room for a little while...but it has arrived. Just like the "back to school" signs at Target, Pumpkin Spice at Starbucks means Fall is quickly approaching. How crazy is that?! This has been an awesome summer...the weather has been beautiful, I've been to a few outdoor concerts, traveled a little, adventured plenty...but it has zipped by (it's all those time travel Thursdays, I tell ya). I'm excited for Fall. I'm excited for cozy things...apple cider, pretty crunchy leaves, rain pounding outside while my polka dot raincoat a-waits its use, sweaters and layering, and Pumpkin Spice lattes at Starbucks...for pumpkin lovers (a not so clever promo campaign Starbucks did a few years ago).
2. Have you watched Mad Men? I didn't watch the first couple seasons...I heard things about it, people talking, and just assumed if it was getting so much buzz it must be an HBO show. I only recently discovered it is a basic cable show...so have caught myself up On Demand. I don't know how I feel about it. It's fairly depressing, and for a while I thought it was kind of boring...and yet, I just kept watching episode after episode...until I got through every one available On Demand. And I will certainly be DVR'ing it when the next season starts up this weekend. Check it out. While it is depressing, it is kind of nice to know that sometimes the people who seem like they have it all aren't happy...is that a terrible thing to say? To be glad for someone else's unhappiness? Probably. Honest though.
3. Finished my next book club book this week...Moloka'i. It was a pretty easy read, I'd recommend it (we read the one by Brennert, not Bushnell). It is about the small Hawaiian Island, Moloka'i, which used to be the location of the quarantined leprosy settlement in the late 1800's-mid 1900's. They didn't know very much about the disease at the time, there wasn't a cure, and people were terrified of it. So when it was discovered that someone in the community had the disease, they were taken away from their family and sent away to this island, basically to die. The book is fictional, but based on real people and real events, and tells of the different kinds of Ohana (c'mon people...Stitch told you, "Ohana means family") these people, and everyone really, have throughout their lives.
4. My wallet and backpack were stolen on Wednesday. Ugh...sooo annoying! There was nothing in the back pack...other than pens and stuff, but it was my favorite- had my initials, just the right size for packing things. So mad. And my wallet had about $2...and my random cards, which I cancelled before anything happened on them. Whoever took it got NOTHING...but it's such a pain to have to get a new license, get new insurance cards...my Disney ID was in there...so sad about that. Just annoying. And I realize, it was my fault and was bound to happen sometime....I left it under the seat in my unlocked car while I was running around Greenlake. But I have been doing that for FOREVER...grrr.
5. I'm spending the weekend with my mom...super excited. We have a few things planned...and we are going to work on a couple of our business plans (yay for creative brainstorming!)...can't wait. Of course, good weekends always go by way too fast...so Monday will be here before you know it. Sorry. That's a terrible way to end the Friday Five! :)
Have a fantastic weekend! And next week too! Later...
1. On Fridays, at Starbucks, I go in an hour earlier than my normal shift and put away our weekly order...all the coffee that comes in, syrups, lemonade, juices, etc. It isn't my favorite way to spend an hour...I bump into things, the cardboard gives my arms rashes...but whatever, someone has to do it. Today...Pumpkin Spice arrived. We aren't serving it yet...it'll be holding it's place on the shelf in the back room for a little while...but it has arrived. Just like the "back to school" signs at Target, Pumpkin Spice at Starbucks means Fall is quickly approaching. How crazy is that?! This has been an awesome summer...the weather has been beautiful, I've been to a few outdoor concerts, traveled a little, adventured plenty...but it has zipped by (it's all those time travel Thursdays, I tell ya). I'm excited for Fall. I'm excited for cozy things...apple cider, pretty crunchy leaves, rain pounding outside while my polka dot raincoat a-waits its use, sweaters and layering, and Pumpkin Spice lattes at Starbucks...for pumpkin lovers (a not so clever promo campaign Starbucks did a few years ago).
2. Have you watched Mad Men? I didn't watch the first couple seasons...I heard things about it, people talking, and just assumed if it was getting so much buzz it must be an HBO show. I only recently discovered it is a basic cable show...so have caught myself up On Demand. I don't know how I feel about it. It's fairly depressing, and for a while I thought it was kind of boring...and yet, I just kept watching episode after episode...until I got through every one available On Demand. And I will certainly be DVR'ing it when the next season starts up this weekend. Check it out. While it is depressing, it is kind of nice to know that sometimes the people who seem like they have it all aren't happy...is that a terrible thing to say? To be glad for someone else's unhappiness? Probably. Honest though.
3. Finished my next book club book this week...Moloka'i. It was a pretty easy read, I'd recommend it (we read the one by Brennert, not Bushnell). It is about the small Hawaiian Island, Moloka'i, which used to be the location of the quarantined leprosy settlement in the late 1800's-mid 1900's. They didn't know very much about the disease at the time, there wasn't a cure, and people were terrified of it. So when it was discovered that someone in the community had the disease, they were taken away from their family and sent away to this island, basically to die. The book is fictional, but based on real people and real events, and tells of the different kinds of Ohana (c'mon people...Stitch told you, "Ohana means family") these people, and everyone really, have throughout their lives.
4. My wallet and backpack were stolen on Wednesday. Ugh...sooo annoying! There was nothing in the back pack...other than pens and stuff, but it was my favorite- had my initials, just the right size for packing things. So mad. And my wallet had about $2...and my random cards, which I cancelled before anything happened on them. Whoever took it got NOTHING...but it's such a pain to have to get a new license, get new insurance cards...my Disney ID was in there...so sad about that. Just annoying. And I realize, it was my fault and was bound to happen sometime....I left it under the seat in my unlocked car while I was running around Greenlake. But I have been doing that for FOREVER...grrr.
5. I'm spending the weekend with my mom...super excited. We have a few things planned...and we are going to work on a couple of our business plans (yay for creative brainstorming!)...can't wait. Of course, good weekends always go by way too fast...so Monday will be here before you know it. Sorry. That's a terrible way to end the Friday Five! :)
Have a fantastic weekend! And next week too! Later...
Saturday, August 8, 2009
I know, I'm a blog slacker...
Yes, I know...I haven't written for three Fridays in a row. You are wondering if I am still alive. Or if I am out being productive, without time for silly online journals. Or if my life is so dull I couldn't come up with five things to talk about. Or if, perhaps, I have joined a traveling circus and they made me sign a confidentiality agreement. Maybe I've moved to a small town in France that hasn't found internet yet and forgot to mention it in my last post because it was such a last minute decision. I'm sure all of these thoughts have run through your head as you frantically check and re-check my blog site, hoping for an update. I'm sorry to have worried you. I am fine. I am neither more busy or more boring than the past seven months, when I have dutifully updated each Friday. I am still in Seattle (though did leave for California for a short period of time), and I have been making a serious effort to join the people at Disney, who will make me sign a confidentiality agreement, but isn't exactly a traveling circus. I just decided not to write. That's allowed.
And I'm in a rebellious mood, and will not be following the normal format today (Saturday...gasp!) of bullet points. I'm just going to write.
So I have enjoyed writing a blog- it was a fun way to keep everyone updated on my European adventure, and the Friday Five is a way to make myself write (since I have been majorly slacking in the book writing), while keeping my friends that I don't see on a regular basis a little updated on my life. But here's the thing about my blog. It isn't totally honest. I know that anyone can read it. Including people that might be annoying me, that I don't agree with, that I'm concerned about, etc...the things that I would actually write about in a journal. I don't want to offend anyone. Hurt someone's feelings. Or get in trouble at work. :) I re-read my europe blog and it sounds like the greatest time in the world...I even managed to make my bag getting stolen seem like no big deal, just a little inconvenient. Which, I suppose is a nice way to look back on the trip and remember it...because it was an incredible experience, but if I was honest, it was probably the hardest experience I've ever had. Worth it, definitely...absolutely would have done it even if I had known how hard it would be...but not necessarily the rosy trip I wrote about. And it's kind of the same with the Friday Five.
And that's all I have to say about that...I will continue my happy writing. Don't worry.
I went down to California last week/this week. I left last Friday. Spent a couple of days in LA (well, mostly Anaheim actually)..stayed about a mile and a half from Disneyland. I stopped in at the casting office and left them my spectacular Disney resume and chatted a bit. I love the people that work for Disney...they are happy to just chat away and share their info...always so friendly. I spent some time wandering around Downtown Disney...which isn't as good as Disney World's...much smaller, and just not as interesting...but is still Disney and free to wander through. Saturday I had lunch with my good pal Brian, who has been living in LA for three years and I never get to see. Very fun to see him...it was like we were never apart...him smelling my hair, making inappropriate jokes every five seconds. I've missed him! He had to leave to go make an offer on a condo (ohhh, what a grown up) so I went into California Adventure (this is where, if I was totally honest, I would talk about how a couple of my friends ditched spending the day with me...but I won't) and spent a few hours there...went on a couple rides, saw the Pixar parade...but mostly just happy to walk around and soak it in. They had an exhibit showing all the new plans they have for California Adventure between now and 2013...looks super cool. And it is nice to see that even with the economy the way it is, they are still doing alright and pushing forward on projects, continuing to add new magic for guests to enjoy (seriously people, shouldn't I be working there?!).
Sunday Briana flew in and I picked her up from the airport and we began our drive down to San Diego. We felt the need to make a stop in Laguna...hoping to find the surf shop where Stephen worked and perhaps have some kind of Laguna celebrity sighting. I know...dont judge. Sadly, we saw nobody, but did have some delicious ice cream. We continued the drive south. We stopped in...ummm, can't remember the name, to have lunch/dinner with a couple of Briana's friends. We ate at this cool little cafe in Del Mar (I think?) that overlooked the beach, was pretty cheap and totally delicious. And then we finished the drive, found our hotel, showered and changed, and headed out to explore the Gaslamp district.
Our hotel was pretty close to the Gaslamp district...just a few blocks...but those few blocks in between were scary as heck! B and I made jokes each night as we walked home, mostly to keep ourselves from being totally freaked out...we learned which side of the streets to walk on to avoid the o-so popular cricket store hangout of scaries...unfortunately crossing the street put us in this big parking lot that seemed to be the hangout of random hookers. They seemed less intimidating.
Monday we spent the afternoon in Coronado...really cute (and ridiculously expensive!) beach town. The ocean was FREEZING. Like Washington beaches freezing. There was no way we were going in past our ankles! Monday night we had dinner with my oldest pal from kindergarten...so fun to see Krissy! Her poor boyfriend and Briana had to sit there and listen to us laugh about old stories and talk about people they didn't know.
Tuesday I left super early and drove up to Glendale to meet with a Disney Imagineer to talk about what I need to do to get a job with Disney. It was a great meeting. Really inspiring...made me even more eager to continue pursuing that path. Though they are on a bit of a hiring freeze...whatev. The office was so cool...half of the place was a giant warehouse, where they were actually building stuff for the parks...
When I got back, we went out to La Jolla (pronounced la hoya...don't make the mistake of saying it out loud like it's spelled...luckily I kept it to myself, even though I didn't realize this "La Jolla" place on the map was the "la hoya" people kept talking about). This is a gorgeous beach and beach town...with cliffs, and seals and lots of snorkeling (word on the street was this water was warmer...I don't know, we didn't go in). We did some shopping. I was on a mission to find a delicious do it yourself frozen yogurt place...but after asking a sales lady was told there wasn't one in town...so I decided to just go with a bowl of gelato. Yeah, the second we stepped out of the gelato place, there- in front of our face, was a do it yourself frozen yogurt...I was pissed! Luckily my gelato was super yummy, so it wasn't a total bummer. Tuesday night we met back up with Krissy and Justin for the Padres game. Krissy takes pictures on occasion at the games, so she knows some people around, and we got to sit in a bar area that we weren't supposed to be able to with the cheap tickets we had. The game was lots of fun...how I love baseball games. We went out after the game, to some random happy hour with a waiter that was a little too eager and a total "hey babe" kind of guy....which was amusing.
Oh and Wednesday. we were both flying out of LAX, so we left with plenty of time to get to the airport, even with traffic. I had been super organized the whole trip- printed out directions to everything I needed to be at...except returning to the airport. I figured we were going to be on the major freeway, there would be signs to the airport. Not so. Made it all the way up to Glendale before we thought we must have missed it...turned around, called Brian for directions, and then we were stuck in that terrible, horrible, no good, very bad traffic. Luckily Briana's flight was much later, so she could return the car...I truly thought I was going to miss my flight...I got through check in and security in record time (there was next to no line and I didn't have to check any luggage) and I made it to my gate as they were already boarding. Sigh.
I made it back...picked my car up, drove straight to work, straight from work to housesitting...and straight to bed to work early the next morning.
And here I am. Back in dreary, grey Seattle...it is so nice to have the sun gone. I know...but really, it is exhausting when the sun is out all the time. You feel like you have to be outside, going, being social...I just want to sit in my sweats, in a coffee house and write...which is what I'm doing now. Yay.
Hope things are well with you...and I'll return to the Friday Five next week...probably.
And I'm in a rebellious mood, and will not be following the normal format today (Saturday...gasp!) of bullet points. I'm just going to write.
So I have enjoyed writing a blog- it was a fun way to keep everyone updated on my European adventure, and the Friday Five is a way to make myself write (since I have been majorly slacking in the book writing), while keeping my friends that I don't see on a regular basis a little updated on my life. But here's the thing about my blog. It isn't totally honest. I know that anyone can read it. Including people that might be annoying me, that I don't agree with, that I'm concerned about, etc...the things that I would actually write about in a journal. I don't want to offend anyone. Hurt someone's feelings. Or get in trouble at work. :) I re-read my europe blog and it sounds like the greatest time in the world...I even managed to make my bag getting stolen seem like no big deal, just a little inconvenient. Which, I suppose is a nice way to look back on the trip and remember it...because it was an incredible experience, but if I was honest, it was probably the hardest experience I've ever had. Worth it, definitely...absolutely would have done it even if I had known how hard it would be...but not necessarily the rosy trip I wrote about. And it's kind of the same with the Friday Five.
And that's all I have to say about that...I will continue my happy writing. Don't worry.
I went down to California last week/this week. I left last Friday. Spent a couple of days in LA (well, mostly Anaheim actually)..stayed about a mile and a half from Disneyland. I stopped in at the casting office and left them my spectacular Disney resume and chatted a bit. I love the people that work for Disney...they are happy to just chat away and share their info...always so friendly. I spent some time wandering around Downtown Disney...which isn't as good as Disney World's...much smaller, and just not as interesting...but is still Disney and free to wander through. Saturday I had lunch with my good pal Brian, who has been living in LA for three years and I never get to see. Very fun to see him...it was like we were never apart...him smelling my hair, making inappropriate jokes every five seconds. I've missed him! He had to leave to go make an offer on a condo (ohhh, what a grown up) so I went into California Adventure (this is where, if I was totally honest, I would talk about how a couple of my friends ditched spending the day with me...but I won't) and spent a few hours there...went on a couple rides, saw the Pixar parade...but mostly just happy to walk around and soak it in. They had an exhibit showing all the new plans they have for California Adventure between now and 2013...looks super cool. And it is nice to see that even with the economy the way it is, they are still doing alright and pushing forward on projects, continuing to add new magic for guests to enjoy (seriously people, shouldn't I be working there?!).
Sunday Briana flew in and I picked her up from the airport and we began our drive down to San Diego. We felt the need to make a stop in Laguna...hoping to find the surf shop where Stephen worked and perhaps have some kind of Laguna celebrity sighting. I know...dont judge. Sadly, we saw nobody, but did have some delicious ice cream. We continued the drive south. We stopped in...ummm, can't remember the name, to have lunch/dinner with a couple of Briana's friends. We ate at this cool little cafe in Del Mar (I think?) that overlooked the beach, was pretty cheap and totally delicious. And then we finished the drive, found our hotel, showered and changed, and headed out to explore the Gaslamp district.
Our hotel was pretty close to the Gaslamp district...just a few blocks...but those few blocks in between were scary as heck! B and I made jokes each night as we walked home, mostly to keep ourselves from being totally freaked out...we learned which side of the streets to walk on to avoid the o-so popular cricket store hangout of scaries...unfortunately crossing the street put us in this big parking lot that seemed to be the hangout of random hookers. They seemed less intimidating.
Monday we spent the afternoon in Coronado...really cute (and ridiculously expensive!) beach town. The ocean was FREEZING. Like Washington beaches freezing. There was no way we were going in past our ankles! Monday night we had dinner with my oldest pal from kindergarten...so fun to see Krissy! Her poor boyfriend and Briana had to sit there and listen to us laugh about old stories and talk about people they didn't know.
Tuesday I left super early and drove up to Glendale to meet with a Disney Imagineer to talk about what I need to do to get a job with Disney. It was a great meeting. Really inspiring...made me even more eager to continue pursuing that path. Though they are on a bit of a hiring freeze...whatev. The office was so cool...half of the place was a giant warehouse, where they were actually building stuff for the parks...
When I got back, we went out to La Jolla (pronounced la hoya...don't make the mistake of saying it out loud like it's spelled...luckily I kept it to myself, even though I didn't realize this "La Jolla" place on the map was the "la hoya" people kept talking about). This is a gorgeous beach and beach town...with cliffs, and seals and lots of snorkeling (word on the street was this water was warmer...I don't know, we didn't go in). We did some shopping. I was on a mission to find a delicious do it yourself frozen yogurt place...but after asking a sales lady was told there wasn't one in town...so I decided to just go with a bowl of gelato. Yeah, the second we stepped out of the gelato place, there- in front of our face, was a do it yourself frozen yogurt...I was pissed! Luckily my gelato was super yummy, so it wasn't a total bummer. Tuesday night we met back up with Krissy and Justin for the Padres game. Krissy takes pictures on occasion at the games, so she knows some people around, and we got to sit in a bar area that we weren't supposed to be able to with the cheap tickets we had. The game was lots of fun...how I love baseball games. We went out after the game, to some random happy hour with a waiter that was a little too eager and a total "hey babe" kind of guy....which was amusing.
Oh and Wednesday. we were both flying out of LAX, so we left with plenty of time to get to the airport, even with traffic. I had been super organized the whole trip- printed out directions to everything I needed to be at...except returning to the airport. I figured we were going to be on the major freeway, there would be signs to the airport. Not so. Made it all the way up to Glendale before we thought we must have missed it...turned around, called Brian for directions, and then we were stuck in that terrible, horrible, no good, very bad traffic. Luckily Briana's flight was much later, so she could return the car...I truly thought I was going to miss my flight...I got through check in and security in record time (there was next to no line and I didn't have to check any luggage) and I made it to my gate as they were already boarding. Sigh.
I made it back...picked my car up, drove straight to work, straight from work to housesitting...and straight to bed to work early the next morning.
And here I am. Back in dreary, grey Seattle...it is so nice to have the sun gone. I know...but really, it is exhausting when the sun is out all the time. You feel like you have to be outside, going, being social...I just want to sit in my sweats, in a coffee house and write...which is what I'm doing now. Yay.
Hope things are well with you...and I'll return to the Friday Five next week...probably.
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